By Christine Mirembe
How would you react if someone suggested you take your daughter out of school and push her into marriage? This was the dilemma that Godfrey Kanyansi Mutambuka faced. After his daughter, Patience Ampumuza, completed her primary education at Kisiizi Hospital Nursery and Primary School, a friend urged him to give her away for marriage. Later, a relative echoed the same advice, warning that Ampumuza would not complete secondary school without getting pregnant.
Despite the pressure, Mutambuka, a teacher himself, stood firm.
“When my father eventually told me about the ill talks, I felt lucky that he did not listen to them. Dad valued education, and I will always cherish him for that,” Ampumuza recalls.
Patience Ampumuza with her husband, Martin Matita
Her mother, Provia Peace Tumushabe, a housewife, too, was a champion for education, ensuring that her children had food, clothing and everything they needed to be able to attend school. As the firstborn in a family of six, Ampumuza credits her parents’ dedication for instilling in her the resilience to pursue her dreams. That resilience has paid off today, because the world has an extra social worker. The Uganda Christian University (UCU) alumna is one of the people working tirelessly to strengthen grassroots organizations in western Uganda.
Mutambuka, whose family hails from the southwestern Uganda district of Rukungiri, was frequently moved from one school to another to serve as a teacher. However, wherever he went, he often had his daughter in tow, studying in the schools where he taught. This experience developed a strong father-daughter bond.
Ampumuza attended O’level at Kyamakanda Senior Secondary School and Immaculate Heart Girls’ School, Nyakibale, for A’level. Both schools are in southwestern Uganda. It was at Immaculate Heart Girls’ School, Nyakibale where Ampumuza encountered people who inspired her to pursue community work. Alumni who were studying social work at Makerere University in Kampala shared stories about careers and service, planting the seeds of a vision to empower others, especially girls. Around the same time, a story about a woman running a children’s home further shaped Ampumuza’s aspirations.
Although her father had hoped she would follow in his footsteps as a teacher, Ampumuza remained determined and clear in her path. In 2008, she enrolled at Bishop Barham University College, a constituent college of UCU in Kabale, for a Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration. During her studies, she met Martin Matita Abaho, whom she married on 9th May 2015.
Ampumuza describes her years at UCU as transformative. Regular community worship sessions helped her develop a strong relationship with God, while the culture of service and kindness shaped her professional values.
In 2011, a year after graduating, she became the manager for the USAID-funded Sustainable Comprehensive Responses project, which focused on economic resilience, food security and nutrition, psychosocial well-being, and child protection. Recognizing the need for technical expertise, she returned to school for a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management at Uganda Management Institute in Mbarara, western Uganda. She also undertook a course in administrative law. These qualifications equipped her to thrive in the nonprofit sector.
By September 2016, Ampumuza had joined the Foundation for Community Development and Empowerment as the Program Director. In this role, she works with grassroots organizations in Rukungiri, helping them strengthen capacity and expand their impact. Under her guidance, one organization grew from a small savings group of 25 women into a formally registered entity with a significantly larger operational budget.
Yet, challenges remain. Funding insecurity is a constant concern. “Many community organizations rely on external grants, and not every proposal is successful. This uncertainty can limit their ability to sustain programs,” Ampumuza explains.
Balancing work, personal life, and family is also demanding, but she credits her husband as her “strongest source of emotional support.”
Ampumuza dreams of establishing a movement advocating the education of girls. Her commitment is evident even at home, where she seeks ways to help her house help, a Senior Four dropout, return to school.
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